In the autumn of 1934, the Holy Cross Fathers in North Dartmouth began to look for new quarters because of increasing seminary enrollment. The current Stonehill campus was purchased from Mrs. Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. on October 17, 1935. The initial purchase included 350 acres (1.4 km2) and the original Ames mansion; the congregation purchased the remaining 190 acres (0.77 km2) from Mrs. Cutler two years later. Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. was the great-grandson of Oliver Ames, Sr., who came to Easton in 1803 and established the Ames Shovel Company.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorized the Congregation of Holy Cross to establish Stonehill College on the Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. estate on June 30, 1948. In September of that year the college enrolled 134 men as the first class. Classes were held in the mansion and in the Ames Gym.

The first building built by the college was the Science Building which opened in February 1949. In 1974 the building was renovated and renamed the Tracy Science Building in honor of David Tracy, a former Stonehill advisor and trustee. The Science Building has since been moved to the brand new Shields Science Center, which opened in 2009.

On November 3, 1949, the first issue of the College newspaper, The Summit, was published. In the fall of 1951 the college decided to become a coeducational organization and enrolled 19 women. The first class graduated from Stonehill on the first Sunday of June 1952 and consisted of 73 men.

Stonehill offers 38 major programs, the opportunity to double major or participate in one of the College’s 45 minor programs.[4]

Students develop knowledge and skills through general education, master at least one major area of study, and have the flexibility to explore other coursework, study abroad, internships, independent research, and other experiences unique to their own educational plans.

The MacPhaidin Library, named in honor of Stonehill College's eighth president, Father Bartley MacPhaidin, C.S.C., was constructed in 1997 and opened in May 1998, at the college in North Easton, Massachusetts. The MacPhaidin Library is three stories high and covers 600,000 square feet. It houses a collection of 250,000 print volumes, including more than 100 full-text databases and indexes, and two computer labs. Various works of local art and history are on display at the library as well as a large collection of historical Irish documents and literature.

Ace's Place Cafe: Ace's Place Cafe, located on the ground floor of the MacPhaidin Library, was renovated in the summer of 2012 and now serves Starbucks coffee and Sodexo food products. Additional booth and table seating has been added and use of the facility is open for the enjoyment of students, staff, and outside patrons.

The Martin Institute at Stonehill College offers summer programs for high school students with Blueprint Summer Programs. In summer 2011, the program begins on June 26 with four courses available: Introduction to American Government & Model UN, Business and Entrepreneurship, Creative Writing and Psychology. Students live and study on campus and go on field trips to Washington D.C., Six Flags, Boston, Cape Cod and Portland, Maine.

U.S. News & World Report's “America’s Best Colleges 2008” ranked Stonehill #105 of nearly 300 nationally renowned baccalaureate institutions included in the “Liberal Arts Colleges” category. One of only 8 Catholic colleges in the top 50% of that group, Stonehill previously held the #1 ranking in the “Comprehensive-Bachelor's (North)” category from 2001-2007. Currently, Stonehill is ranked as one of the top up-and-coming schools in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2010." The report also ranked Stonehill #7 for "happiest student body" and #14 for "most beautiful campus." In total, Stonehill ranked among the top 20 institutions in 11 categories of the report. In addition, among institutions using the NSSE (2005), Stonehill is ranked in the top 10% for providing “Enriching Educational Experiences,” and in the top 50% for “Level of Academic Challenge” and “Supportive Campus Environment.”

Stonehill also has two of the country’s best undergraduate teachers according to The Princeton Review. The Massachusetts-based education services company—widely known for its test-prep courses, books, and student survey-based college rankings—profiles Professors Richard Capobianco (Philosophy) and Jared Green (English) in its new book, The Best 300 Professors (Random House/Princeton Review).

The 2012 issue of the U.S. News and World's report ranked Stonehill 100 in the country for National Liberal Arts Colleges, moving up 5 spots from the previous year.

Stonehill provides guaranteed 4 years of housing to students admitted as residential students. The housing is set up as Freshman/ Sophomore and Junior/ Senior. O'Hara and The Holy Cross Center are designated freshman traditional-style dorms.

Both Freshman and Sophomores have the chance the live in Boland, Villa Theresa, Corr and Notre dame Du Lac.

The Pilgrim Heights, O'Hara Village and Pilgrim Heights suite style housing is primarily for sophomores.

Juniors and Seniors all live in suite style housing in Colonial & Commonwealth Courts, Pilgrim Heights and New Hall.

The Residence Life staff is extremely committed to working with all of their residential students to ensure a positive experience.

The college has begun a series of improvements to the campus. These improvements include:[6]

Diverting the Rt. 123 access road to wrap around the outside of the campus, passing W.B. Mason Stadium and the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex. Previously the road passed between O’Hara Hall and The Martin Institute. The new road is intended to create a better pedestrian atmosphere on campus with most of the main access roads encircling the campus. The area where the previous road passed through was converted into walking paths and grass lands. In addition a new brick walkway was constructed to connect to the brick pathways on the quad.

Construction of a new science center on the Rt. 123 side of the Martin Institute. The new center had a soft open in the Summer of 2009, and had a grand opening for the Fall semester of the same year. The center also marks the first corporate inclusion on campus, as a Dunkin' Donuts opened in the student center of the building in October 2009.

Construction of a much-desired footbridge over the Ames Pond (to be located and accessed behind O'Hara Hall). This project was completed in the fall of 2013.

The re-routing project was completed in late summer of 2006. The pathway project was completed in the spring of 2007.

The Hill, a pub-like eating area in Roche Commons, was completely done over by the architect of the Fire and Ice restaurant. The remodeling began in the beginning of May 2010 and was completed by the start of the Fall 2010 semester.

Near the entrance way to Stonehill, the Shields Science Center is an 89,630 Sq. foot, 34 million dollar building. It is the Newest and greenest academic building. Completed in the summer of 2009, it is one of the newest buildings on campus. It has windows that have special coating to keep cool air in and hot air out (or vice versa) It also boasts a rooftop garden to collect rainwater, as well as a greenhouse out back of the building. The building is divided into two wings: The Wet science wing (Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry) and the Dry science wing: (Physics, Psychology and Neuroscience) Many classrooms are "Clab" style-mixed class and lab space. Students can have lectures and then immediately apply what they learned in a lab setting. Shields Science Center also houses the Pettit Atrium, a popular 24-hour study space for students. Besides a study area, it is also home to many other social events, as it houses approximately 340-500 people events. Right outside the Petit Atrium is the Dunkin donuts, which is open until 11 PM.

New Hall is a brand new upperclassman, suite-style residence hall, completed in 2010. It contains 31 suites housing 6-10 students each. Most suites feature a common area living room, two full bathrooms and a well-appointed kitchenette. New Hall also features two laundry rooms, several quiet study rooms, a game room, a common-area kitchen, chapel for mass/quiet reflection and a main programming lounge on the first floor. It is also the tallest building in Easton.

The Athletic Department fields 20 competitive NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports. The College’s combination of academic and athletic success has garnered Stonehill the #4 ranking in the country among NCAA Division II schools in the Collegiate Power Rankings that are published by the National College Scouting Association. Furthermore, Stonehill finished 65th in the overall NCSA Top 100 Power Rankings across all three NCAA divisions.

W.B. Mason Stadium is a 2,400 seat, multipurpose sports stadium. Opened in 2005 at a cost of $4 million, it is the home of Skyhawk football, lacrosse, field hockey, and track & field.[7]W.B. Mason, an office-supplies dealer based in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts, and its alumni employees contributed $1.5 million toward the project.[8]